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One day after Baltimore officials informed residents that E. coli spread into parts of the city鈥檚 water system and issued a boil-water advisory, advocates are calling for improvements to the city鈥檚 water infrastructure.
鈥淣o one in Baltimore should have to worry that their family could get sick from the water coming out of their tap,鈥� Emily Scarr, director of the Maryland PIRG Foundation, said Tuesday. 鈥淭he boil-water advisory is an all-too-often reminder that more needs to be done to protect our water.鈥�
John Rumpler with the non-profit Environment Maryland Research and Policy Center, said the millions of dollars in federal money from the infrastructure plan should be used to update the city鈥檚 water system.
鈥淲e should treat our water as the precious life-giving resource it is,鈥� said Rumpler, director of the center鈥檚 clean water program.
On Monday, the city announced that tests showed contaminated water in parts of West Baltimore, a majority Black part of the city.
The announcement from Baltimore鈥檚 Department of Public Works said the听听affected 1,500 commercial facilities听and residences in the city.
The department recommends boiling water for one minute and letting water cool before using it to brush teeth, wash dishes and prepare food.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, E. coli can create intestinal distress such as stomach cramps, diarrhea and vomiting. However, there are rare cases it can cause life-threatening symptoms about a week after infection.
The听听people not to swallow any contaminated water when bathing or showering.
When the city issued the boil-water advisory Monday, city workers also distributed one gallon of water per household.
On Tuesday, families were offered three gallons of water per household.
The city鈥檚 Department of Public Works announced Tuesday evening families can pick up water at three locations, continuing Wednesday at 9 a.m.:
- Harlem Park Elementary/Middle School, 1401 W. Lafayette Ave.
- Middle Branch Park, 3301 Waterview Ave.
- Landsdowne Library, 500 3rd Ave.
The Maryland Department of Health, which is providing regulatory oversight and technical assistance, said in a news release that the 鈥減otential threat appears to be limited to the area identified.鈥�
Baltimore Councilmember John Bullock (D), who represents the affected area of the city, said Tuesday he understands some of the frustration from residents in not receiving information sooner.
The city鈥檚 public works department discovered the contamination during routine monthly testing Saturday.
鈥淚 know I share the same frustration when communication didn鈥檛 seem as forthcoming, or as frequent as we would have liked it to be,鈥� Bullock said. 鈥淎 lot of folks have been calling us. Just continue to keep the lines of communication open and try to help each other along the way.鈥�
As of Tuesday evening, no cause had been determined.
Because the city provides water to parts of neighboring Baltimore County, county officials announced a boil water advisory for residents in the southwestern part of that jurisdiction including Arbutus, Halethorpe and Lansdowne. A statement from Baltimore County noted that no bacteria was detected in the county.
鈥淭he health of Baltimore County residents is a top priority, and we want to be sure that everyone in the advisory area is taking all of the necessary precautions,鈥� said County Executive Johnny Olszewski (D). 鈥淲hile Baltimore County does not have operational control of the water system, we are making some of the County鈥檚 certified water testers available to assist the city鈥檚 efforts in quickly resolving this issue.鈥�
Sen. Mary Washington (D-Baltimore City) and other state legislators had already been working before the contamination was found on legislation to听.
Washington, who called the city鈥檚 current situation a 鈥渨ater crisis,鈥� highlighted a report from the Maryland Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights that amplifies ongoing water problems, especially in underserved communities.
鈥淲e really need to know what the cause of the contamination is,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e need to know who is responsible and also need to develop solutions to make sure this doesn鈥檛 happen again. This is absolutely calling on the city to ensure this happens.鈥�
Democratic gubernatorial nominee Wes Moore issued two statements Tuesday.
The first praised Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott (D) for his response to the E. coli contamination and underscored the need for partnership in responding to such a crisis.
鈥淲e will work in partnership with Baltimore leaders to ensure that our communities are strong and supported,鈥� Moore said.
In the second statement Moore said, 鈥淔or too long people in our state continue to get left behind. And that fact becomes painfully clear to us when our fellow Marylanders cannot even access the basic necessities. We must commit to improving our infrastructure and working with stakeholders at every level of leadership to ensure all Marylanders are safe and healthy.鈥�
